Changes in Contract Labour Act will keep in mind interests of all stakeholders: Kharge

The Labour Ministry is making efforts to extend all benefits available to permanent workers to contract workers, keeping in mind the interests of all stakeholders. This was stated by the Union Labour and Employment Minister, Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, at the Standing Labour Committee meeting here on Monday.

Mr Kharge was responding to the demand of trade unions to amend the Contract Labour Act, 1970 to provide for automatic absorption of contract labour in the event of prohibition of employment of contract labour and opposition by employers' organisations.

On the issue of trade union ‘recognition', especially in the backdrop of the Maruti unrest, Mr Kharge said “the present system of verification (of trade unions) like secret ballot, check off, etc., needs to be closely examined further for evolving an improved system which is more transparent and brings out the proper representation.”

The Minister also hinted at the need to have a National Labour Code, as suggested by the Arjun Sengupta Committee, to lay down “a floor of substantive labour rights or standards such as minimum wages, maximum hours of work, minimum standards of safety and health at workplace and so on.”

The tripartite meeting was attended by representatives from Central ministries, State Labour Ministers, industry bodies, employers' organisations and trade unions.